Holly's Secret
by CosmicGirl22
Summary: Set sometime between series 1 and 2. male Holly has a secret, apparently Lister wasn't the only one in stasis. Holly/Ofc romance. please read & review.
1. Chapter 1

Lister was bored. He sat staring at Cat's book, the one which made him out to be God. He still couldn't get over the fact that a now dead species of cat-people revered him as a deity. He leafed through the pages barely looking at the pictures, until he noticed two pages were stuck together. "Never noticed that before." he said to himself as he begun to pry the pages apart. There was a new picture there, a picture of a woman-also in stasis, looking quite upset.

"Hol?" Lister said to the screen on the wall.

"Yes, Dave." Holly's face came up on the screen.

"Who's this?" Lister asked and held the book up to Holly's face.

"That's a book, Dave." Holly said calmly, though his eyes darted to the side.

"Not _what'_s this! WHO'S this?" Lister pointed at the upset looking woman.

"I cannot answer at this time." Holly said thinking quickly. "My internal sensors are being upgraded."

"I don't buy that." Lister said and jumped off his bunk. He put his nose to the page.

"Moriah Smitts," he said as he sniffed the title below the picture. "Hol, who is Moriah Smitts?"

"It's Myra Smith, actually." Holly replied.

"Well, who is she?!" Lister said and began sniffing again on the opposite page.

"She was on board before the radiation leak…" Holly was cut off by Lister reading the text.

"This fearsome deity knows all your weaknesses and will punish those who betray God." Lister took his nose back from the page. "What's that about?"

"What's going on in here?" It was the holographic image of Arnold Rimmer.

"Finding out who this is."

"She looks in a state." Rimmer said looking at the drawing.

"She was." Holly replied.

"Think you got some explaining to do." Lister said to Holly.

"Oh, alright." Holly said. "She was on the ship…"

"I don't remember her." Lister said.

"Nor I." Rimmer butted in.

"You want the story or not?" Holly said, before continuing. "She was a civilian. A geologist sent to study certain rock formations in the Glatz nebula. Only, when we got there the Captain wouldn't stop to let her do her research. She had been brought out here for nothing. I felt for her, I really did."

"You felt for her?" Rimmer's eyebrow raised.

"She used to talk to me when she did her work." Holly said shyly.

"What would she say?" Lister asked.

"Deep philosophical stuff," Holly smiled to himself. "Like, 'What'S the square root of two hundred and sixty five? It was beautiful." Holly waited a moment before continuing. "When the Captain refused to let her do her work she _borrowed _one of the skiffs to go anyway. She was caught, brought back, and put in stasis, where she remains now."

"Why did you never tell me about her?" Lister asked.

"You never asked."

"I think you have a little crush, Holly." Rimmer said with a cocky smile.

"I thought about her everyday for the last three million years-Yes, I suppose that could be considered a _little_ crush."

"So, why not just wake her up-like you did me?" Lister asked.

"Its complicated." Holly replied. "At first it was the radiation threat-then, as time moved on I started to wonder. What if she blames me for being caught? Or worse, what if she doesn't remember me at all?"

"To her it will be like no time has passed at all. Besides, It can't be that bad. Now she has her whole life to study the Glatz nebula." Lister smiled. "If it still exists.

"If we can find it again." Rimmer added.

"Besides think of all the new nebulas she can explore-or would that be nebuli?"

"I suppose." Holly said begrudgingly.

"So this is it?" Lister asked as he stood outside the large grey metal door.

"Detention Bay FOUR Cell 3." Holly's voice confirmed. "How those words have rung in my head these past years."

"C'mon Hol," Lister sighed.

"I can't wait to see her again. She's got a timeless beauty."

"Yea well, open 'er up." Lister added. "Let's see this woman of your dreams."

"Give us a minute. This is a big moment." Holly said then paused. "Alright…its open."

The door clicked open and widened by itself. Lister saw her, the girl, Myra. She looked mad alright, the picture had done her justice.

"And if you think for one second you're going to leave me in here for 19 months!" She stopped short and looked at Lister. "Who are you?"

"I'm Lister." he swiped his hands on his pants and offered it to her to shake. She took it reluctantly.

"Well, Lister. You can tell your Captain that if he thinks he can get away with this nonsense…"

"There's no Captain to tell. They're all dead."

Please Review,


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to my one reviewer! You gave me the courage to continue! I hope you like this chapter!

--

"Repeat that?" She asked, certain she had heard him wrong.

"Dead. They're all dead. Everyone."

"You're not."

"I was in stasis as well."

"Well, what happened? Was there some sort of accident?"

"Yeah, It was called, letting Arnold Rimmer onboard." Lister smiled at his own joke. Myra wasn't smiling at all.

"I don't follow."

"There was a radiation leak that killed everyone on Red Dwarf, besides us, cause we were protected in stasis. Holly couldn't let us out till the radiation levels went down…"

"Why do I have a feeling it was longer than 19 months?" she asked by gauging the look on his face.

"…which took about three million years." He coughed and mumbled the 'million' part. Myra didn't reply. The floor had seemed to go out from under her. "Come on now." Lister said holding on to her-and helping her walk. "Lets get you downstairs-I know just the place."

--

"So, what you're saying is…" She began slowly-making sure she had gotten all of it correctly. "…I've been in stasis for three million years and in that time, we've _lost _Earth. Humanity has died out-as did a race of cat people- that just happened to have feared me as some sort of angel of doom and you their God And, as if that weren't ridiculous enough, the ships computer has fallen in love with me?"

"Basically, yeah." Lister nodded. "You might want to be gentle with him. He's really smitten with ya."

"I think I need a drink."

"That's why I brought you to the officer's lounge." Lister said and jumped up from the table. He walked around to the other side of the bar and grabbed a bottle of gin to begin making drinks. "It's got the best booze."

"Psst, Dave." Holly's face popped up on a small screen behind the bar.

"What is it, Hol?" Dave asked as he began to pour the liquid into two glasses.

"How's it going? She remember me?" Holly asked quietly-the suspense apparent in his eyes-if not his monotone voice.

"I think so-yeah."

"Tell her I said hi." Holly smiled, then his brow furrowed. "On second thought, no, might make me sound a bit eager."

"Why don't you just tell her yourself?" Dave laughed.

"I'm working on it. Got to build up me confidence, don't I?"

"I suppose so." Lister raised his head up from behind the bar and called to Myra. "You take ice?" She was gone. "Where's she off to now?" Lister sighed.

--

Myra was going down the corridor faster than was probably safe. She didn't know where she was headed. She just knew she had to get out of there. Quickly turning left and right as she bounded down the hall, she was soon out of breath and thankfully lost. She saw a nearby bench beside a food vendor and sat down.

"Get yourself together, My…" she said to herself, between pants of breath. "…things aren't that bad."

"There you go…that's the right attitude, love." said the food vending machine. "Care for some soup?"

"No, thank you."

"Suit yourself." the vending machine answered.

"Wooo I am looking fine today-with a capital FINE!" Came a voice coming up the corridor. Myra stood instinctively as the figure approached. "Hey, who are you?" he said as he came up on her.

"I'm My-" she began but was cut off by Cat's loud screech.

"Moriah Smitts?!" Cat had just came close enough to see her face clearly. He dropped to the ground at her feet. "You're Moriah Smitts!!-You've come to punish me! Don't take my suede shoes! Anything but my shooeeesssss-and my extensive jacket collection!!"

"I'm not Mor--" She tried but Cat continued.

"Or my jewelry! I can't live without my jewelry!"

"I'm not Moriah Smitts alright!" she yelled pulling Cat up by his arm. "I'm not interested in taking any of your clothing!"

"Or accessories?" Cat asked still skeptical.

"Or accessories." she agreed.

"Well if you're not Moriah Smitts, then who are you?" Cat asked regaining some of his cool from before.

"I'm Myra Smith-and I'm a geologist."

"In that case, I'm Cat. Nice to meet you.-Now, I got to go. It's time for my sixth nap of the day. See ya." The Cat made his way down the other end of the corridor. Myra watched him go and headed back towards where her quarters used to be.

--

"Lights." she said once she entered the room. She walked to her old desk by the small port window and looked over the few pages laying there.

"Is it how you left it?" It was Lister. He spoke softly so as not to startle her. He was leaning on the door frame, kindly smiling.

"Yes, exactly." She said before looking back down at the papers. "You would think after three million years there would be a ton of dust on everything."

"Good thing about being in space I suppose-not much dust." Lister said before smiling big. "Unless you count star-dust, eh?"

"I suppose." she answered half-heartedly.

"You know, you're going to have to work on that sense of humor, if you're going to get by out here." He said stepping into the room.

"I'm sorry -and about earlier too-running off. I just needed some time alone to process. It's a lot to take in all at once."

"Believe me I know." Lister added.

"Well, yes. I suppose you would. You're in the same boat as me."

"Literally." Lister agreed, looking around.

"You probably handled it better though."

"I handled it the same way I handle everything else..." Lister shrugged. "…with ridicule and sarcasm."

Myra half-laughed.

"There ya go!" Lister beamed. "It's good to see you smiling. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever break, but I suppose after scowling for three million years it's a tough habit to break."

"I'm usually a happy person, honest."

"Good-for awhile there I thought I was going to be stuck with another Rimmer."

"Rimmer? Is he the Cat-person?"

"Oh, you met Cat, did ya?"

"Yes, briefly, but he made a lasting impression."

"Ya, he defiantly does that." Lister nodded. "Rimmer is a hologram-of my old bunk mate. Holly brought him back to keep me company, and to keep me sane."

"Is it working?" she asked.

"At times I wonder."

--

"I can't believe you." Holly said to Lister, once he got back to his room.

"What?" Lister said.

"You were flirting with her. Don't deny it." Holly said.

"I was trying to help her feel better." Lister defended.

"I guess I under estimated your drive to repopulate the human species. What are my chances now then? Why would she want me when she's got your warm body pressing up against her?"

"Holly, I never pressed up against her!"

"No, but you thought about it." Holly frowned.

"I didn't!" Lister yelled. "Listen, Hol, you're my mate. You're in love with her and even though you're a computer and she and I are the last human beings alive-and the only hope of mankind's survival- I still wouldn't betray you."

"Well, I suppose that's alright then." Holly said still looking suspicious.

--please review (plllzzzzzzz)


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to my reviewer! Yes, Holly in love is adorable to me too-lol I dont know why but it just is. -anyway here is all I have at the moment. Thank you for reading!

Myra sat down at her desk. She began looking through the pages in front of her-not that they meant anything really anymore. The Glatz nebula now only existed in theory- _These pages on the copper and iron deposits on the outer rim will now only be of use to line that Cat-man's giant litter box_, she thought darkly. She sighed heavily and rested her hands in her head.

"Sorry to interrupt, if this is a bad time?"

Myra looked up at the computer monitor on her desk. It was Holly, the ships computer.

"Well, I …um…No, its fine." She finished remembering Lister's little revelation about the computer's _feelings _for her. "Did you need something?"

"Just wanted to see how you were settling in." Holly replied quickly.

"Great-Nothing's really changed in here, unless we count that pile of dust over there, which I think might be my old bunkmate-Lewis."

"I kept it just the way you left it." Holly beamed. "Wouldn't even let the skutters in here. Didn't want them mucking around."

"Thanks." Myra grinned. "I appreciate it." There was an awkward moment as Holly and Myra both smiled and nodded at each other-neither knowing what to say.

"I'll have that pile taken care of then." Holly said finally.

"That would be lovely, thank you." Myra said-glad the silence was over.

"Alright then." Holly said.

"Ya, alright." she finished and waved as his face disappeared from the screen. She looked at her hand-_Did I really just wave 'Bye' to a computer screen? _

--

"Well, Did you ask her out yet?" Lister asked Holly when he reappeared on the screen in the command room. Lister and Cat were playing cards with Rimmer stood above them looking superior.

"Don't be silly, Lister!" Rimmer said as he sat opposite his bunkmate. "An inter-species romance? It's not even that --its an _artificial-life form/real-life form _romance. The very idea makes my skin crawl-if I still had skin."

"Go smeg yourself." Holly said, not taking his words kindly. "And No, Dave. I havent asked her out yet-but I'm working on it."

"I mean how's it going to work, Holly?" Rimmer went on as though he hadn't heard him. "Are you going to buy her micro-processors for Valentines Day? If she gets sick are you going to try and run an anti-virus program on her? And, I don't want to know what you plan on having her do with your hard-drive."

"You never know. It could be true love, Rimmer!" Lister spoke up for Holly. "Stranger things have happened in the cosmos."

"You know what the word 'cosmos' means, Lister?" Rimmer asked, but quickly answered his own question. "Of course you don't-you barely know your own name. It means 'order,' and this _romance _goes against every order I know of."

"You're just jealous." Holly replied.

"Why should I be jealous?" Rimmer quickly shook his head. "I think we should drop her off on the nearest planet or asteroid with an atmosphere. She serves no purpose here. What do we need with a geologist? She will only use up our supplies and get in the way with her…_girly-ness_." Rimmer said with a shudder.

"Why don't you come over here and say that?" Holly asked looking cross.

"Now, now fellas!" Lister said getting in between them. "No ones getting dropped off on any planet!"

"You're smegging right, they're not." Holly added.

"Well, be it on your own heads when we can't take a shower without running into stockings hanging on our towel racks and our electric razors being unplugged to make room for hot wax removers or hairdryers." Rimmer said.

"We already have that with Cat here." Lister said pointing at the cat.

"Yes, but that's different. He's a cat and she's a …_girl_." Rimmer said the word 'girl' lowly with contempt.

"You want to know what I think?" Lister said getting a sly grin on his face and pointing his finger at Rimmer. "I think you're worried if whether or not she outranks you."

"That's outrageous." Rimmer said quickly and walked to the opposite side of the room. "Shes a civillian-It would be impossible for her to outrank me."

"Ahhh…even civilians have some rank while onboard a Space Corps ship-depending on their job purpose. Isn't that right, Hol?"

"Checking now." Holly said, then after a pause. "Says here in section eight of her contract with Space Corps. While on board Red Dwarf, Myra Smith is awarded the temporary rank of junior grade lieu…"

"Aha!" Rimmer yelled. "You said your self _temporary_. Three million years hardly counts as temporary!"

--kind of ends abruptly there lol..

please review! (or keep reviewing :) )


End file.
